4 
Philippine Journal of Science 
1920 
5. The conveyance of pathogenic organisms from one part of the 
body to another. 
6. Interference with absorption in the intestine through the adherence 
of large numbers of parasites to the surface of the epithelium, 
as in the case of Giardia. 
7. Actual invasion and destruction of the tissues with all its concom- 
itants and sequelse. 
The children included in this series ranged in age from 7 
months to 13 years. The girls numbered fifty-three, and 86.6 
per cent of these were parasitized. There were forty-seven 
boys, 97.8 per cent of whom were parasitized, the incidence of 
infection in the boys being higher by 11.2 per cent than in the 
girls. 
Considered in groups, 66.6 per cent of the children under 1 
year of age were found to be infested. This was a very small 
group, consisting of only nine cases, and we are not inclined 
to generalize on that incidence. It does show, however, that 
even breast-fed children are not free from parasitism under the 
conditions obtaining here. The second group, formed of children 
between the ages of 1 and 2 years, was shown to be infected 
to the extent of 73.6 per cent. This gives the total incidence 
of infection in our series of children between the ages of 7 
months and 2 years as 71.4 per cent. We may add that we had 
no opportunity to examine any child under the age of 7 months. 
The third group, comprising children more than 2 years and 
not more than 13 years of age, showed 100 per cent infection. 
This group was formed of seventy-two children, all of whom, 
without exception, were infested with one or more parasites. 
Notwithstanding the group was small, the results are rather 
startling. We can only say that there was absolutely no selec- 
tion of cases, and this fact was discovered only when w^e began 
to tabulate and study our results at the conclusion of the exami- 
nations. 
The earliest infection was found in a child 7 months old, 
which was found to harbor Spirochxta eurygyrata and Ascaris 
lumbricoides. Allowing for the period of development of the 
worm before ovulation, this infection took place certainly not 
later than between the fifth and sixth months following birth. 
Unfortunately we were unable to secure data as to the feeding 
and other habits of the child. The infection apparently was 
light, for it was detected only on the second concentration of the 
stool, and the ova were few and far between. 
Another child showed an infection with Trichuris trichiura 
at the tenth month which, allowing for the development of the 
